Antarctic ozone layer is bouncing back, say NASA scientists

Technology Nov 25, 2025

Good news from space: the Antarctic ozone layer is finally showing real signs of recovery.
This year's ozone hole peaked at 8.83 million square miles—one of the smallest since 1992.
Scientists credit the Montreal Protocol (which banned harmful chemicals) for this progress, and say we could see a full recovery later this century.

What's changing and why it matters

The ozone hole now forms later and closes up earlier than it did in the early 2000s, though we're not quite back to pre-1980s levels yet.
NOAA's Stephen Montzka shared that ozone-harming substances have dropped by a third since 2000.
NASA's Paul Newman noted that otherwise, today's hole would be much bigger.
Bottom line: protecting the ozone layer really does help shield us from dangerous UV rays.